Friday, December 22, 2017

Book Blogger Hop No. 115: Books Are My FAVORITE Presents!!!!



Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,
hosted by Billy @


For more information, and 
to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.


This Week's Question

Have you ever asked co-workers
to give you a book or B&N gift card if
they got your name for a 
Secret Santa gift exchange? If so,
did you get what you asked for?

(Submitted  by Maria @ 



My Answer

This might seem like a rather weird or unusual thing to do, but to an addicted bookworm like me, it makes PERFECT sense! Lol. While I do appreciate other types of gifts, it's receiving a book or books as a present that really gives me the GREATEST happiness! I just feel so excited, so absolutely giddy with delight, when I receive a BOOK as a present!! Especially if the book is in one of my favorite genres! So of course, what better way to make sure I get exactly what I want in a Secret Santa gift exchange than by letting potential gift-givers know ahead of time, just in case they got my name? Lol.

The thing is, I have ALWAYS wanted to be absolutely SURE that the person whose name I got in a Secret Santa gift exchange LOVED the present I gave them. In the past, whenever I've participated in one of these things, I've spoken with friends of the person whose name I got, and asked them what the person would like to receive. Then I would ensure I bought them exactly that. 

In my own case, I, too, wanted to get my favorite present -- a book. So, weeks before the event, I made SURE everyone in the office KNEW that I wanted to get a book as a present. I even told them which specific genres I would love to get -- either fantasy, science fiction, YA, or romance. Furthermore, I added that I would be perfectly happy to get a mass market paperback, as these are pretty inexpensive. The limit for the gift exchange was always the same -- $25.00, so getting me a paperback wouldn't put a big dent in anyone's pocket. Lol. 

I have done this "gift broadcasting" on at least three occasions, in three different office jobs. In one of them, I got EXACTLY what I had asked for; in the other two, I did not.

In two of the jobs, I was given jewelry instead of a book, despite the fact that both of the people concerned knew that I would have wanted a book. In the third job, I did get a book, and it was a science fiction book, too, just as I wanted!

It's not that I didn't appreciate the presents that I got at those two other jobs, because I did. But I couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed.... 

In one of the jobs, I was given an earring and necklace set. The earrings and necklace were very pretty. I was puzzled, though, when the gift-giver told me -- without my asking -- that she thought this was "a more appropriate gift". Why would a book not have been "appropriate"? 

In the second job, I was given a pair of earrings. These were also very pretty. This second person told me -- again without my asking -- that she thought I had "too many books already".....Oh, well. Of course I was disappointed, although I pretended not to be. 

In the third job, I SQUEALED with delight when I opened the present. It was a Star Trek novel!! Needless to say, I profusely thanked the gift-giver, who was obviously a book lover, too.

I guess only a bookworm would understand why another bookworm would always prefer to receive a book as a present, at Christmastime and any other time of the year! Lol.




What are your thoughts on
this topic?
If you're participating in this hop,
I'll go comment on your 
own BBH post.
If not, I will then comment on one 
of your blog posts!
Thanks for visiting!!!  
 






8 comments:

  1. I wouldn't want jewelry either.

    Some people just don't get it.

    Great question and answer as always, Maria.

    Thanks, and Merry Christmas. I hope you have lots of books to open. HUGS.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Blizabeth!

      Yeah, jewelry is nice, but a BOOK is AWESOME!!! What I CANNOT understand is why, if these people KNEW that I wanted a book, they gave me jewelry instead!! WHY?! And I'd like to know what the HECK is so "inappropriate" about giving a woman a book as a present!! And then the second person said that I already had "too many books"!!!! Who the HECK did she think she was, telling me such a thing?! GRRRRRRR!!!!!

      Thanks so much for the compliment, Elizabeth!! <3 <3 <3

      I hope you had a GREAT Christmas!! And sadly, I had to be my OWN Santa...... :(

      Thanks for the nice comment!! HUGS!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)

      Delete
  2. I've done Secret Santas, both with The Broke and the Bookish twice, and at work once. I've only gotten books for presents from TBTB; at work, we had to give each other gifts from our store lol. It would be nice to get books every time from every person, but I'm afraid that it won't be a book that I like, and I'd have to give it away or something lol. That's happened before (not going to say who!!). 

    My BBH - http://poemsbyayoungartist.blogspot.com/2017/12/bookbloggerhop-december-22-28-beauty.html#disqus_thread

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Dani!

      Well, so I'm going to check out that Secret Santa gift exchange with The Broke and the Bookish!! Thanks for letting me know! I will DEFINITELY participate next year!!

      I know that you can't ALWAYS get a book, from every person. However, if you have made it VERY clear, to everybody at work, that, IF they get your name, you want a BOOK, then that's exactly what they should give you, if they get your name! These people were very well aware that I wanted a book! Why did they feel that I would "prefer" something else, instead? WHY did they feel that they had the RIGHT to "tell" me what I SHOULD prefer as a Christmas gift? GRRRRRR!!!

      Hey, if you tell me that you want a plush toy tarantula for Christmas, then that's EXACTLY what I'll give you, even if I think it's scary!! If that's what you really want, then that's what I'll give you. People should get others what they KNOW others will enjoy receiving, not what THEY themselves would want to receive! It seems that these two women would have appreciated receiving jewelry as presents, so, since I'm a woman, too, I SHOULD want the very same thing!! Well, actually, NO. I will ALWAYS prefer to receive books as a present! If I want jewelry, I'll but it myself.

      There. I'm off my soapbox now! Lol.

      Thanks for commenting!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! <3 :)

      Delete
  3. Great post as always Maria.

    Gifts can be a great gift for those who love them. With that I think there are given less as gifts because people's tastes are so varied one needs to know a lot about what someone wants before giving them. Thus I think that "gift broadcasting" is a great idea. If one wants books, I think that even using that method, one should be specific at least in regards to genre.

    I laughed at the comment you received about having too many books already"!

    Merry Christmas to you and your family Maria!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Brian!

      Thanks so much for the compliment!! :) :)

      It's true that books are not given as presents very often because people don't know your reading tastes. However, in the two cases I mentioned in my post, BOTH of these women KNEW not only that I wanted a book, but also the genre(s) I wanted. They just didn't WANT to give me a book. One of them thought, just because I'm a woman, that I would "really prefer" jewelry, She even said that this was "more appropriate"!! Now, WHY in the world would it be "inappropriate" to give a woman a book as a present?! The thing is, she probably preferred jewelry as a present herself, so she figured I SHOULD prefer the very same thing, just BECAUSE I'm a female, too!! GRRRRRRR!!!!!

      The other lady told me that "you already have too many books". I know this stupid remark made you laugh! But it actually made me MAD. Just WHO did this woman think she was, telling me that? Was that supposed to make me feel better?! What an IDIOT. This woman was one of my immediate supervisors, too. Well, you know how some people call them "stupidvisors", instead? LOL.

      I am SO HAPPY that I no longer work in either of those two jobs!!!!! LOL.

      I had a wonderful Christmas, Brian!! Hope you did, too!!

      Thanks for the nice comment!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! <3 <3 <3 :) :) :)

      Delete
  4. Only one of my previous jobs did a Secret Santa exchange and we included lists. I always listed a book or a Barnes & Noble gift card on my list. Thankfully, the Secret Santas chose from the list!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Chrissy!

      Oh, you LUCKY, LUCKY girl!!!! I ENVY you!!! Lol.

      Now, that's the SMART thing to do! Having a list is a TERRIFIC idea!! Why didn't they do that at these two jobs I was in, I really don't know! But then, the two women in these two jobs really didn't WANT to give me what I wanted, even though I had made it VERY clear, to EVERYONE in the office, that I wanted a BOOK. They thought they "knew better" what I would prefer! i find that incredibly INSENSITIVE, not to mention ARROGANT. How can someone presume to "know better" what another person will prefer as a Christmas present?!

      Needless to say, I am VERY thankful that I'm no longer working at either of those two companies!!! LOL!!

      Thanks for commenting!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!! <3 :)


      Delete

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